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Emilio D’Aguanno: Rose Bay ex hairdresser on rape charge

A hairdresser who used to own a salon in Rose Bay has fronted court on historic charges of raping his then 15-year-old employee and sexually assaulting a teenage client.

Emilio D’Aguanno leaves the Downing Centre Court in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett
Emilio D’Aguanno leaves the Downing Centre Court in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

A former eastern suburbs hairdresser charged with the rape of his teenage employee and sexual assault of an underage client in the 1980s has fronted Downing Centre Local Court.

Emilio D’Aguanno, 76, appeared before Registrar James Wiseman on Wednesday morning on one count of raping his then 15-year-old employee and two counts of category three sexual assault.

Category three sexual assault is legally defined as having sexual intercourse without consent.

He also appeared on two charges of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old client – once at his Rose Bay salon and then at a house in Double Bay.

The accused owned a hairdressing salon in Rose Bay which closed down decades ago.

Emilio D’Aguanno (right) leaves the Downing Centre Court in Sydney with his lawyer Claudette Chua. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett
Emilio D’Aguanno (right) leaves the Downing Centre Court in Sydney with his lawyer Claudette Chua. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

There is no suggestion the charges have anything to do with beloved eastern suburbs stylist Pino D’Aguanno, 65, who owns popular Rose Bay salon D’Aguanno Hair Design in Rose Bay.

Emilio D’Aguanno appeared in court dressed entirely in black and later donned a surgical mask when leaving the Downing Centre.

He was represented by lawyer Claudette Chua who replied “no comment” when the Wentworth Courier attempted to ask her client a question outside court.

Detectives from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command launched an investigation into the alleged assaults in November 2018.

On May 18 this year, Emilio D’Aguanno was charged with the sexual assault of his client.

Two days later a now 50-year-old woman, who was 15 when she worked for the accused hairdresser in 1985, approached detectives.

On June 18 the further charges of rape and sexual assault of the former employee were laid.

Registrar Wiseman continued Emilio D’Aguanno’s strict conditional bail and he will next appear before the court on October 1.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/wentworth-courier/emilio-daguanno-rose-bay-ex-hairdresser-on-rape-charge/news-story/ffac9870e747afc599db20eb8b5d4a8e